Seeing red is not one of the many warning signs of an impending heart attack but it may be a side effect of living in Kirksville throughout February as NEMO Heart Health aims to reinforce the education message of its heart health mission by “rocking the town red.”

Starting Friday and coinciding with the American Heart Association’s efforts throughout February, NEMO Heart Health will be looking to “rock” the town as it strives to support the community’s well-being, in particular on matters of the heart.

“A lot like how pink is associated with cancer and getting those preventative actions done, we hope red will draw people’s attention to prevention of heart disease,” said NEMO Heart Health Secretary Lisa Archer.

The group will be organizing weekly live AED demonstrations at Hy-Vee Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in February.

Hy-Vee was the second location in Kirksville for a NEMO Heart Health AED unit and the grocery store will be hosting the NEMO Heart Health group and also collecting donations at the register for continued AED placement and maintenance.

“The effort will be three-fold,” Archer said. “It focuses on [health] awareness, memory of those who have heart disease and honor those who have died from it.”

The Hy-Vee events will offer citizens a chance to examine an AED unit and see how it works and the automated instructions it issues as guidance, hopefully putting concerns and uncertainty over use of the device at ease.

“People are still scared to pick up an AED,” Archer commented. “So the hope is that we can educate them on the safety and how to use them and increase their comfort level so folks aren’t scared to pull them off the wall.”

Today also marks the national Wear Red Day, coordinated through the American Heart Association, and serves as the kick-off for the month of February as American Heart Month.

The American Heart Association is emphasizing its “Go Red for Women” campaign, with the focus on educating women and spreading the fact that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.

According to the AHA, heart disease kills approximately one woman every minute and since 1984, more women than men have died from heart diseases with the survival gap continuing to widen.

Archer said while the local Heart Health campaign will focus on both men and women, it’s also important to remember that women’s heart attack warning signs can be different, as well.

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“For women, it’s easy to dismiss something as indigestion when it could be a serious cardiac event rather than a stomach issue,” Archer said.

She went on to describe warning signs like severe fatigue, nausea, vomiting, fainting or indigestion as some of the warning signs for females, in addition to the typical signs of tightness or pain in the chest.

The AHA highlights that for women, heart disease can be a silent killer, with less than a third of women reporting any early warning signs such as chest pain or discomfort before a heart attack.

But in Kirksville during February, gender aside, it will be all about the red.

NEMO Heart Health is also going to be distributing red light bulbs and selling special red t-shirts for its “Rock the Town Red” event and encouraging business and employees to take part, as well.

And then on Feb. 22 the hope is all anyone sees in Kirksville is red, providing a visual reminder of the ever-present danger of heart disease.

“We’re beginning talks for our Heart and Sole Walk in September and focusing on getting people more active, less sedentary and focus more on nutrition,” Archer said. “Heart health is really impacted by both those things.”

The t-shirts will be available both through NEMO Heart Health members as well as at the Northeast Regional Medical Center or by e-mailing hearthealth.nemo@gmail.com.

The Kirksville Daily Express will also be featuring a heart health fact on the front page of its February editions to help increase awareness.